Grand finish for Tigers; Memphis outlasts Tech 13-9 in 10 innings

Mar 21, 2010

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech overcame a grand slam by
Memphis in the sixth inning and battled back to tie the game in the
top of the ninth, only to see the Tigers get a walk-off grand slam
in the bottom of the 10th inning to post a 13-9 victory Sunday
evening in Fed Ex Park.

The win allowed Memphis to sweep the three-game
non-conference series and improve to 9-11. Tech, which came into
the series having won five of its last six games, slipped to 9-11
heading into a Tuesday afternoon game at Belmont.

The Golden Eagles had 17 hits in the contest, but stranded 15
runners and hurt their chances with four errors, including two
miscues on the 10th.

Tyler Huesling struck for two home runs including his second grand
slam of the year to give the home team an 8-4 lead in the
sixth.

Tech cut the difference to 8-6 in the seventh, slipped behind 9-6
in the eighth on Huesling’s solo blast, then scored three
times in the top of the ninth on A.J. Kirby-Jones’ 11th home
run of the season – and second of the series -- to knot the
contest at 9-9.

Chason Choate (1-2), the fifth Tech pitcher in the contest, took
the tough-luck loss. He was nearly flawless in the ninth,
getting through the frame with only one base runner who
reached on a Golden Eagle throwing error.

Errors were costly in the 10th as leadoff hitter Jeff Zurcher
reached on a fielding error. He stole second base and moved all the
way to third on a throwing error on the play. Coach Matt Bragga
decided to intentionally walk the next two batters to set up force
outs around the horn, but Russell hit his first home run of the
year on the first pitch, a line drive down the left field line.

Starter Tristan Archer worked the first five innings, scattering
six hits and allowing three runs. He walked three and struck out
three. Will Thomas got into trouble in the sixth, allowing
four runs on three hits and a walk. With one out, Chad
Oberacker took over with the bases loaded and Huesling drove
his second pitch over the right center fence for the grand slam and
an 8-4 lead.

Stephen Pryor had two strong inning of relief, holding Memphis to
one run on two hits with three strikeouts in the seventh and
eighth.

Tech’s run in the first came on the second pitch on
Oberacker’s home run, and in the second McMillan’s RBI
single made it a 2-0 Tech lead. McMillan added another RBI
single in the fourth to make it 3-0 before Memphis scored twice in
the fourth and once in the fifth to tie the game.

The Golden Eagles regained the lead in the sixth when
Kirby-Jones walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-3, before the
Tigers’ five-run inning.